Cique de Justice
by Jester of Confusion
Summary: The circus has come to town... or should I say planet. The League intercepts am intergalactic circus troupe heading for Earth to put on a show like no other. Will this show stir up trouble or astound even our heroes? Step Right Up and find out!
1. Prologue: The Circus

JoC: Okay, so this is my first Justice League Fanfiction. Please don't kill me and realize that I needed to write this after watching a few of the movies, reading a few crossover fics, and listening to a little too much techno and Jimmy Eat World. If I get something wrong in the comic book universe, please don't hold it against me.

We are in JLU universe, Flash is very much alive, and the Watchtower is in complete use.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Justice League Unlimited. They are owned by DC and the like.

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**Cirque de Justice**

**Prologue: The Circus**

People don't go to the circus to see the clowns. People don't go to the circus to see the fire breathers. People don't go to the circus to see the jugglers. People don't go to the circus to see the trapeze artists, the acrobats, or the trained animals. People don't go to the circus.

If it is truly a circus, a cosmic spectacle involving a wondrous variety of skills and acts, people don't go to it. They _experience_ it. The circus comes alive in front of them. The frivolity of the clowns causes laughter and happiness to bubble. The heat from the fire breather amazes and warms the imagination. The daring feats of the jugglers prod at the adrenaline and nervousness of the onlooker. The trapeze artists keep audiences on the edge of their seat, eyes towards the stars. The acrobats entertain, catch the eye, and perform their passion. The trained animals bring the wilderness to an audience that has bravely stepped from their comfort zone. The audience LIVES the circus.

The experience of the circus is not something to take lightly. It is a time in an audience member's life that should be remembered, but captured only in mind. A picture or a video does little justice to the performers, but dilutes and twists the vision of the troupe. If you need a souvenir, earn a smile from a clown, receive a wink from a juggler, or take a warm flare from the fire breather. An inch of confetti from a memorable side show can be worth a pound of gold to an audience member that has watched in awe the spectacle of the circus.

Those that make the spectacle possible are rare and hard to find. They do not roam the streets wearing signs or labels for a ring leader to see. They are sought after and gathered like precious gems and priceless treasures that are cared for with the most loving hands. A sweet tongue and a patient mind has to lead a circus troupe. To the troupe a ring leader becomes a mother or father, a parent and guardian that a company member, possibly an outcast in any other society, can hold to and find comfort in. Never will a ring leader turn away a circus member that is in need. He or she will nurture and take great care to keep the member safe. A circus troupe becomes a family wound together tighter than blood relatives.

This family travels. Never is the circus rooted to one spot and anchored to the land. Like the winds that whip across the land the circus moves over rock and sea, unseen until the show goes on. Then like the seasons, the circus changes and leaves their current location. The nomad of the entertainment land, they move and never remain still for too long. It is not in their nature to stagnate and blend into the atmosphere. They will stand out, grab attention, and in a wink of an eye they will be gone. They leave only the memories behind and a true circus lives by a schedule that is governed by no clock, but the hearts of the troupe and the will of the ring-leader.

When a new location is chosen a small group of members will go ahead and scout the area. They will make sure it is safe and secure, prime for the business of wonderment. They want to make sure they are welcomed and the location is ready for the show. This group will decide whether a future location is ready for the spectacular life-changing show of the circus. The next location is like an ever-changing Mecca that is seen as lucky and precious. In a new city, town, or planet there are priceless audience members waiting to be astounded and amazed. The troupe knows they touch the hearts and minds of many and they must make sure that the impression they are going to leave is everlasting and bright.

So could Earth be ready for this? Could Earth be ready for the greatest circus ever seen in all the galaxies? Is this small blue and green planet ready for the show of a lifetime?

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"Entered the solar system – 30 AU until arrival on Earth"

The words scrolled across the screen, blinking in warning.

The message went unheeded.

The space travelers drifting in the vessel were curled tightly under their respective blankets. Plant pod like beds encased the precious cargo as they slept onward. They were not going to wake until they reached their destination. In the shape of a large row boat, the star-travelling vessel continued it's incredibly fast pace and soared through space on a direct path with a small blue planet floating easily in the Milky Way galaxy.

Ready or not. They were coming.

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JoC: And there you have the prologue. Please review, please continue reading! Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 1: Atmospheric Tension

JoC: Yay! I got this chapter done too so you guys can have more than just the prologue. Here's where the other characters and part of the plot appears. Just to let you know, this is not a self-insertion. None of these characters are me and I promise none of them are going to be all-powerful annoying and such.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plots from Justice League Unlimited. They belong to DC and the like.

Again - First JLU fic, please be kind!

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**Cirque de Justice**

**Chapter 1: Atmospheric Tension**

"_I just know it's going to be a circus."_ – Chris Warren

Surprisingly before multi-billion dollar satellite in space even caught a glimpse of the speedy craft, an amateur astronomer playing with his telescope peered through his lens and discovered that there was something coming for Earth. It did not have a tail of debris or ice and it was singular, not in shower form. It had a direct path and before it could be named the "Volbeck Comet" after Stanley Volbeck, owner of the amateur telescope, or the doomsday rock it was caught by the trained eyes of others. Governments all over the Western hemisphere quickly took up their phones and demanded the hypothesis' of the best astronomers. This thing could be deadly and heading straight for Earth!

Then the pixels slid into place.

Leave it to the advanced and special computers built by the illustrious Wayne industries to put everyone at ease. It was not a deadly asteroid or killer comet.

On the contrary. It was a ship.

It was a ship that the founding members of the League of Justice were currently scrutinizing with great detail and concern. They were quiet and each analyzing the ship in their own way. Some of the more pessimistic among them were not thinking the best about the approaching ship. Others had different opinions and only an optimist could interrupt the contemplative silence with his simple explanation.

"So it's a space ship coming for a visit!" mentioned an unworried voice as eyes watched the large screen in front of the group. There were a few sighs of annoyance. Blue gloved fingers slid over the console keys and the Martian turned to the man dressed in complete red.

"You don't seem to understand. It is an unidentified ship that is not responding to our beacons or warnings. It might be manned, but no one is speaking with us. It is travelling incredibly fast and has a direct course for Earth. We have no idea if it is a friendly craft or not," the alien explained calmly. Of course the green man had the most patience of anyone else in the room; the complete opposite of the man of speed and impatience.

All eyes turned back to the large screen. A large red colored countdown on the corner of the screen read 12 hours and 45 minutes until the craft would hit the surface of the planet below. This didn't leave the debating group a lot of time to decide.

"We are going to have to try and catch it before it hits earth. If it is manned and they cannot communicate for some reason, we cannot destroy the vessel," the Man of Steel spoke wisely as he looked up at the statistics on the screen. He had an idea he would be doing most of the "catching" out there in space and that didn't seem to be a problem. The craft did not look incredibly large. The metallic hull looked to be the size of a small bus. It might be holding at most five people. With the help of a certain opaque jet, they would probably be able to slow the ship down and guide it into the Watchtower's docking bay.

There was some more chatting about what was to be done about the unidentified rowboat before the decision was fully reached. The League would catch the vessel before it entered Earth's atmosphere if contact was not made by the time it got closer. They would give the incoming ship eight hours before plans would be put in motion to slow down and stop the ship's ingress.

No response. Within eight hours the plans were swiftly executed. The invisible jet was launched with the Amazonian princess in the cock pit and Superman on her wing. They kept in close contact with the Watchtower, making sure they were prepared for the strange ship's arrival and inspection. The silvery rowboat was soaring through space at an incredible speed, but it was slowing as if it knew that the surface of a planet was nearing. When it was out and spotted near Pluto it was travelling at estimated light-years, but now it was noticeably slower.

This made the job of the team retrieving the vessel a lot easier, but that didn't mean the job of retrieval was incredibly smooth. The ship seemed to have a mind of its own, not slowing when Superman flew against it the first time. Wonder Woman noted that it seemed to be computerized and programmed to stay on course until its destination was reached. Superman didn't want this thing to land on Earth before he knew all about it and after enough pushing with his own strength and the tow-line from the Amazon's jet pulling the same direction, the ship's systems seemed to be overridden. The strange jets of the new ship sputtered before going out completely. The vessel came to a floating halt. Then Superman and Wonder Woman flew back to the Watchtower, guiding the object of everyone's interest into the docking bay and closing the outer doors.

"Who needs a tractor beam when you have you two?" the Flashed joked as the other founders and some of the other League members (quivering with curiosity) entered the docking bay. A small group was soon forming to watch the goings on surrounding the new arrival onto the Watchtower.

J'onn was the first to find the door. It was near the underbelly of the half-moon shaped craft and with a simple push the latch was tripped. The door unfolded downward and steps were visible on the other side of the door. A silenced followed the opening of the door and the inky darkness within the opening was disrupted slightly by a glowing green color pulsing within the ship's hull. The Martian looked to the others for agreement before he entered.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath for a moment before the green-skinned hero appeared once more and motioned for the others to come forward. He mentioned needing some help. Superman was quick to respond and was inside swiftly. He gasped when he looked upon the "cargo" of the ship. This reaction was shared by Wonder Woman, Shayera, and Green Latern when they entered. Batman chose to stay outside, knowing the ship was small enough. The expert detective investigated the outer skin of the ship and looked it over out of interest.

"Well, that answers the question about it being unmanned or not," the Flash commented as he entered and looked over the sight that had made the others pause in their steps.

Floating about two feet off the grated floor of the ship were five plant pod shaped beds. The glowing green light surrounding each bed seemed to be the source of energy that the bed was using. The beds were not really what each of the league members was looking over. Each pair of eyes was roving over the occupant in each bed, for each floating pod gently held a sleeping form. Five chests rose and fell with easy breaths and the rapid eye movement could be discerned in two or three of the beings.

Wonder Woman stepped forward first and looked around the small hull, looking over each pod carefully. She motioned for the others to take a look. Shayera neared and looked over them as Wonder Woman spoke out. "These two look like children. One, the boy here, cannot be any older than twelve. And this young girl has purple skin."

"I didn't find a child, but I found the Little Mermaid's cousin," Flash mentioned and pointed towards one pod that was slightly different than the others. Each pod looked to be harboring an oxygen breathing being, but one pod was slightly enclosed with water flooding the entire sleeping pod. The female-looking creature inside breathed in easily and slowly, small slits at her neck fanning out and closing with each breath.

"These two are twins or incredibly close siblings," J'onn pointed out the two bronze skinned duo sleeping in two pods hovering close together. Their features were incredibly similar but J'onn could sense an incredibly strong mental connection between them. He looked over each of sleeping travelers and tried to search their minds further, but it seemed the sleeping containers had barriers he could not invade easily.

It took an exclamation from Flash for the others to notice that the hovering beds moved. He was holding one and moving it back and forth easily, grinning. The founders nodded and with great care they slowly moved the beds out of the ship. The onlookers quickly parted as the "beds" were walked past them all and were ordered towards a containment room that would hold them. They still were not sure if this bunch was friendly or otherwise. The five beds were taken to a large room, dome shaped, metal paneled, and open. The door would be locked, but as soon as there was any sign of waking, someone would be there to reassure the newcomers that they were not prisoners.

Upon further inspection from the Dark Knight within the ship some new developments were discovered. There was a computer in a small room at the head of the vessel. The screen, opaque and floating in midair was counting down, continuing a time caption. The ship had not reached its intended destination, but the computer was still counting something down. Batman contemplated this as he watched the hour digit turned from a five to a four.

"Well the numbers and information is in English and the countdown continues despite the ships obvious stalling," Batman told the other founders as he sat at the round table and examined the hand held monitor in his hand. "There doesn't seem to be any evidence of incendiary device or explosive, so I don't think we will know anything until the countdown ends."

Another waiting game ensued, which aggravated Flash. He had to take a few laps around the Watchtower to keep himself entertained. Wonder Woman could not stop wondering about the children on the vessel. Green Lantern was attempting to get in touch with other Lanterns that possibly had an explanation for the ship. Superman and Batman continued to keep a watch on the actual ship while Shayera did some research in the Watchtower's library hoping for information that might give them some clue as to where these beings were from.

J'onn was the only one that kept very close to the containment room. The entire time his eyes were closed as he reached for the minds in the other room. They were still blocked very well, but he was sure all of these beings, save for the siblings, were not from the same planet. The girl in the water had to be from a different world than the girl with the purple skin. The young boy was not in any way related to the siblings with bronze skin and a feather-like tattoo pattern on their necks. They reminded him a lot of the different people that made up the Justice League, beings and people from different backgrounds and sometimes different planets and time periods. He wanted to speak with these newcomers very badly, wanting to know where they came from.

Patience was rewarded and as the red numbers on the screen inside the unknown vessel counted down to zero, the glow of the pods began to fade. The countdown flashed when the end was reached and Superman and the Caped Crusader looked at each other. When a new message flashed on the screen, they blinked and quickly left the ship.

'Intergalactic Sleep State: Deactivated'

Within the containment room the green aura around the sleeping pods began to fade and slowly they floated to the ground, settling. The glass covers slid open to the side on each bed and the sound of air releasing could be heard. A puddle formed below the water-filled pod as the liquid drained from the bed. Two high-pitched beeps sounded from each sleeping vessel before all grew quiet again. From behind the protective one-way watching glass, the founders and a few other League members watched and waited.

The first to twitch and move was the young-looking purple skinned girl. Dual-colored eyes of silver and blue opened and confusion was easy to read. This was not the hull of the DGS that she remembered. Slowly, she sat up and observed her surroundings. Calculating eyes seemed to survey each inch of the room, including the glass window that looked much like a mirror. Unconcerned, the girl simply swung her legs over the side and stood up. The small figure of the girl wavered slightly as she regained feeling in her legs, but then she seemed to easily gain control of her body. Strangely enough the purple skinned young woman wore a silver halter top that showed her purple stomach and silver pants that hugged her like a second skin. Her bare feet padded as she made her way to the young boy's capsule and gently shook him.

The boy groaned before rolling over and opening one glossy gold eye and looking up at his organic alarm clock. He sighed before nodding and pushing himself up from the bed. He cracked his back before also getting up. The boy looked much like a human twelve year old boy, but upon closer inspection some of the onlookers from behind the window could see that his flesh had a grainy look to it, as if it was made from rock. He wore an orange t-shirt and what looked like jean shorts. Running a hand through his messy brown hair he pointed to the siblings before moving to the girl that had been sleeping in water.

"Sedna, wake up," came the first spoken word. It came from the boy as he gently poked the blue-haired woman that was soaked through. There was a hiss from her and the boy backed away slightly. The girl's eyes opened and revealed orbs of deep blue. She sat up and looked to the cowering boy. She seemed to mutter an apology and slowly got up. The woman slipped slightly, also getting used to her legs again and the boy was quick to help her steady herself. The girl called Sedna wore a long blue dress that looked much like a huge t-shirt that hung on her thin form. She also seemed to notice that they had woken up somewhere other than where they fell asleep and she voiced her concern.

"Where are we? This is not the DGS," she voiced in slight aggravation before looking towards the young purple-skinned girl that was trying to wake the identical looking siblings.

It was not a hard task and as soon as the girl lay a hand on both of them, they gasped out loudly and sat up at the same time. Their eyes darted about like frightened birds and as soon as they noticed each other, their hands linked and they smiled in relief. Both had chocolate brown hair that complimented their bronze skin and mocha colored eyed. They both wore off the shoulder shirts of black that went to their hips. When they stood and steadied each other, it was determined their main difference. There was a girl wearing a knee-length brown skirt, and a boy wearing knee-length brown pants. They held close to each other, but their concerns for their location were obvious.

"Eighty-Eight, can you tell where we are?" the female twin asked as she looked to the purple-haired girl. There was a nod in response and the twins seemed to find this of little comfort. The blue-haired woman, Sedna, looked to the large wall height mirror and frowned.

"We've been found out," Flash mentioned in a sing-song voice and with a weak smile.

The group of five seemed to look between each other before the girl named Eighty-Eight went over to the door and pressed her hand against it. Superman looked over and reassured the others that it was locked with a code. There was a few beeping sounds and suddenly the door swung open. The others looked on in surprise and disbelief. That purple-skinned girl had somehow opened a coded door that only opened from one side! Said girl then peeked out and looked down the hallway giving an almost bored expression. Then she stepped back into the room and stood with the group.

The founders took this as a cue of sorts and made their way to the opened door. Seeing as that no one was attacking yet, they figured they could trust the group so far. Superman entered first and was greeted by a glare, three looks of bewilderment, and a completely stoic expression. A silence followed as the rest of the League founders entered. It was one of those awkward silences that one runs into when two groups of people meet for the first time and are searching for the right words to sling at each other.

"You speak English," Flash blurted out first. The other League members looked to him in perplexity, but had to admit he had a point. So far everyone that had spoken in the group could speak unaltered English without any accent.

"We learn the dominant language of any planet we are planning to visit during Sleep State on the DGS. Makes it much easier to speak with the audience," piped the young bronzed woman before she was hushed softly by her brother. She squeaked and nodded before quieting herself and looking a little ashamed for speaking out to the strangers.

Batman was about to ask something else, but what she had said made him pause. 'Audience?' What audience was she speaking of? He looked to the others and they seemed to be sharing his same mental thought process. Superman seemed to be thinking of another way to start the conversation but J'onn whispered that they were not planning on speaking to him. They were guarding themselves and their minds, initiating only a stare down.

"They consider us the aggressor and are not going to say anything to us. They are protecting something and each other," J'onn informed them, looking in concern at the other heroes and then to the new group that was regarding them with unfriendly eyes. There was another standoff as the two tight-knit groups just watched each other with weary expressions.

"Oh!" a sudden exclamation broke the silence and everyone turned to the woman dressed in to hat and tux top. The magician blushed when everyone looked to her and she nibbled her lip. With some encouragement from Dr. Fate behind her, Zatanna spoke up quietly at first.

"I believe these are circus people," the magic woman told them. She looked at the confused looks directed her way before qualifying her belief. "They spoke of knowing their audience and they are incredibly close even though they are obviously quite different from each other. They also won't talk to us, most likely because the Ring Leader is not among them."

When some of the other league members questioned her quietly she told them that she had spent some time with a circus troupe in Europe and those were people you didn't forget. She also explained that if these were circus people, they were not going to do anything without the approval or allowance of a Ring Leader. Batman seemed to listen carefully to this before taking out his communicator and excusing himself. He went to make a quick call and prepare someone for a quick transport. The circus people seemed to be listening to Zatanna and the looks they threw each other seemed to confirm her extremely educated guess.

"Well, then I guess we can at least be welcoming to a certain point," Wonder Woman suggested. She could tell that the young boy, hiding behind the blue-haired woman, was fearful of the large group of larger people. She also noticed the siblings were gripping each others' hand very tightly. She stepped forward cautiously and made sure not to make any sudden movements.

"My name is Diana of Themyscira, also known as Wonder Woman on Earth and you are currently on the Watchtower, a satellite above Earth. We are the Justice League and we protect Earth. Your ship was heading at great speeds towards Earth and you did not contact us. We are sorry for pulling you from your path and journey, but we were not sure if you meant the Earth harm or not," she explained to the silent group of strange beings.

The twins looked from the woman in red, white, and blue to the blue-haired woman. Sedna examined the Amazon closely for a minute before looking to the twins and nodding. The siblings relaxed slightly and were able to breathe easily again.

"She was seeing if you were lying," J'onn told Wonder Woman as he observed the woman that had been sleeping in the water. Deep blue eyes met his and as he tried to search her mind he found a murky barrier that he could not pierce. The other minds were easy to see into. The siblings' minds were full of nervousness, fear, and the longing for flight. The young boy had fear, but was also thinking rationally, like an escape plan of sorts. The young girl had a mind full of numbers and technology. She was not worried, but instead thinking of statistics. It was the oldest woman that he could not read no matter how hard he tried. It was frustrating and a mystery at the same time.

The bronze skinned siblings looked once more at each other, obvious communicating without words. Then the male stepped forward and cleared his throat slightly. He ignored the glare from Sedna, knowing the warning she would give to him. His lithe form was lanky and tall, but looked almost fragile in nature. Though he did not seem timid, he was cautious around the strangers that had "captured" them.

"My name is Loki and this is my sister Demia. The mute girl is Eighty Eight and the mistrusting fish is Sedna. The boy is Jax. We are what the girl called us, at least that's what we are in your language. That's all I can say to you, for our Ring Leader is not here and that is her business to share, but since you gave us your name the polite thing to do is return the favor," Loki explained and introduced the small crew politely.

"Ok, but I got a quick question," Flash said and before anyone could shut him up, he continued, "What are you guys?"

The female of the twins giggled at the blunt question and Sedna rolled her eyes at the rudeness. She refused to answer and the twins nibbled their lips, not really wanting to explain that one. The boy was just as quiet as the rest and it was obvious that the mute girl was not going to share any of that information with anyone. Superman sighed and knew that the trust in the room was nowhere near happy levels.

"I'm Superman. I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but you will have to stay here until we can determine you are not a threat to this world," the man of steel explained, sounding reluctant to detain these newcomers, but because they were hiding things from them they could not be trusted on the planet. Not to mention the League knew absolutely nothing about what each of these people were and what it would mean to the people on Earth if they landed there.

"Do what you must to figure that out, but if we are here when our Ring Leader comes, she is not going to be happy," Sedna warned them gently. The words were careful and non-threatening, but it was a warning that hung in the air with quite a bit of promise attached. The founders looked from one another before gently shooing the other league members out of the detainment dome and out into the hallway. It was carefully explained that no one bother the group that was obviously untrusting of them. The members agreed before dispersing. Zatanna was asked to inform them if she thought of anything else.

The founders then headed towards the meeting room again. J'onn was the last to leave, his eyes barely leaving the "circus" group until he was out of sight. The group convened back in the meeting room and began to talk about what was to be done. It was decided that everyone had to continue their independent research and try to find out as much as they could about the races that had presented themselves in the newcomers. Shayera and J'onn returned to the library and Green Lantern returned to searching the Lantern records and contacts. Wonder Woman said she would inform the commissary of their guests and get the group some food. Superman said he was going to find Batman, who had conveniently disappeared. The Flash wanted to go talk to the circus people, but he was warned that he would no doubt aggravate them. He pouted before he went off to monitor duty.

* * *

"One of them had wings."

"That's not good enough reason to trust them. The others are different and that dark one…"

"You take so long to warm up to anyone!"

"I'm cold blooded, so sue me."

"I'm hungry."

"They won't starve us. They are humane, they are just really protective of their planet."

"Can't we just tell them?"

"No, Demia. You know the rules! They are set there for a reason. It ruins everything if we tell!"

"I'm just afraid of what Lavandera will do when she finds we are being held here and…"

"And we didn't scout the next location! That's critical information she needs!"

"Don't worry, she'll be here soon and they'll realize that it was a bad idea to keep us."

"That's what I'm afraid of. These people aren't bad and mom's gonna go all protective!"

"We'll see. Eighty-Eight, see if you can make friends with the computer while we wait."

"You are scary sometimes, Sedna."

"Not as scary as mother is when she's mad. The sooner we are on the surface, the better."

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JoC: It only took me a few hours, but there it is, Chapter 1! Hope you enjoyed please review and continue to read!


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